Method for cleaning especially the removal of undesired solid particles from a continuously guided wet treated textile web especially printed webs

ABSTRACT

A method of cleaning, especially removing undesired solid particles, from a wet-treated textile web, especially a printed web, continuously guided over rollers, wherein the textile web is guided past individual brushes over its entire width, at brief intervals or spacing, at those locations where the opposite face of the textile web travels over a web support, and directly thereafter this textile web is flushed.

United States Patent 11 1 Probst et al.

[ 1 Oct. 2, 1973 METHOD FOR CLEANING, ESPECIALLY THE REMOVAL OFUNDESIRED SOLID PARTICLES FROM A CONTINUOUSLY GUIDED WET-TREATED TEXTILEWEB, ESPECIALLY PRINTED WEBS [751 Inventors: Willi Probst; I-Ians Weber,both of Uzwil, Switzerland [73] Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Benninger AG,

Uzwil, Switzerland [22] Filed: Nov. 29, 1971 211 Appl. No.: 202,797

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 30, i970 Switzerland[7687/70 [52] US. Cl 8/151, 8/l49.l, 68/22 R, 68/85, 68/92 [51] Int. Cl.B05c 3/132 [58] Field of Search 8/l49.l, 151; 68/5 D, 5 E, 22 R, 38, 62,85, 92

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 324,l37 8/l885 Mather 68/5 E1,820,048 8/l93l Chase 8/l5l X 2,283,0ll 5/1942 Mendelson 68/85 FORElGNPATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 259,940 ll/l926 Great Britain 68/38 PrimaryExaminerWilliam 1. Price Assistant Examiner-Philip R. Coe AttorneyWernerW. Kleeman [57] ABSTRACT A method of cleaning, especially removingundesired solid particles, from a wet-treated textile web, especially aprinted web, continuously guided over rollers, wherein the textile webis guided past individual brushes over its entire width, at briefintervals or spacing, at those locations where the opposite face of thetextile web travels over a web support, and directly thereafter thistextile web is flushed.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED 21975 \p brushes METHOD FORCLEANING, ESPECIALLY THE REMOVAL OF UNDESIRED SOLID PARTICLES FROM ACONTINUOUSLY GUIDED WET-TREATED TEXTILE WEB, ESPECIALLY PRINTED WEBSBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new andimproved method of cleaning, especially for removing undesired solidparticles from a wet-treated textile web continuously guided overrollers, especially a printed textile web.

Following the wet treatment of webs formed of textile material it isoftentimes necessary to free such from certain substances or materials.These substances or materials which are to be freed in particularconstitute residues emanating from the prior treatment, for instancecertain water soluble chemicals, bleaching agents, lyes and acids, butalso materials emanating from the web itself such as snarls and fibers,and finally actual foreign particles or contaminants, such as forinstance marking dyes, printing ink or dye thickeners, non-fixed dyeresidues and contaminants resulting from transport of the web or fromthe treatment equipment.

Now for the purpose of removing such soluble materials and insolublesolid particles there are already known to the art an entire spate ofdifferent methods and apparatuses.

For instance, one group of such state-of-the-art techniques andapparatuses is based upon the principle of forcefully spraying thetextile web following the preceding wet-treatment in order to flush awaythe previously mentioned materials. To this end, there are employedspray nozzles or spray tubes, which experience has shown, however, donot release the solid particles adhering to the textile web. Quite tothe contrary, these foreign particles, upon passage of the web throughthe next successive squeezing mechanism, are even more intensivelypressed into the web. Moreover, these spray batteries additionally havethe notable disadvantage that they require a high consumption of water,increasing the operating costs, either because of the water consumptionitself or by virtue of the required pumping power or load requirements.Additionally, a further disadvantage resides in the fact that if thespraying operation is too intensive, then under circumstances, the webtravel can be considerably disturbed in that folds are formed in theweb, or the web, owing to this spraying operation, laterally deviatesfrom its associated guide rolls. Particularly when washing-out printedfabrics, a too intensified liquid jet or stream impinging upon thetextile web, instead of flushing away the dye residues or the like canpress such into the web, thereby forming speckling or spots at the web.Finally, it should be mentioned that with the conventional spray tubesand spray nozzles it is not possible as a practical matter to uniformlyspray the entire width of the textile web, a phenomenon which, owing toclogging of individual nozzles or spray openings because of contaminantsin the water can even more intensively result in the formation ofstreaks at the treated web.

A further group of known techniques and apparatuses employs differentauxiliary devices at the treatment baths themselves in order to bringabout cleaning of the textile web and removal of non-desired materialstherefrom. According to these prior art proposals either the treatmentbath itself is placed into a state of turbulence and/or the web isbrought into an oscillatory condition within the bath. The mechanismsrequired to produce such turbulence or oscillations are quitecomplicated and expensive, especially as concerns the energyrequirements for their operation. In many instances the action of suchmechanisms is only effective for a brief period of time, oftentimes onlyfor fractions of a second, and thus, the cleaning effect attainable withsuch mechanisms is frequently insufficient. Furthermore, such mechanismsoftentimes require a sturdy construction of the treatment equipment andthey are quite subject to disturbances. Even with these prior artdevices creases or folds can form at the textile web, and the travellingweb can tend to laterally deviate from its associated guideanddeflecting rollers.

Finally, for the purpose of cleaning textile webs during the cleaningphase it is also known to the art to provide individual brushes whichact upon the textile web. However, the use of such brushes previouslywas not satisfactory, either owing to the random position thereof byvirtue of the design of the installation and/or the brief effective timeof such brushes.

Especially in the case of printed goods the smallest adherence of thethickening mass can be poorly and generally only unsatisfactorilyremoved with the day known techniques and apparatuses. Since thethickening agents contain non-fixed dyes an unsatisfactory cleaningeffect works in a disadvantageous manner upon the feel and the printingauthenticity of the goods. An optional mechanical action, for instancesqueezing, is faced with the difficulty that the released dyes soil thebottom or ground shade of the fabric.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Hence, from what has been explained above itshould be recognized that the prior art is still in need of an improvedmethodof and apparatus for cleaning, especially for removing undesiredsolid particles from wettreated textile webs, which is not associatedwith the aforementioned drawbacks and limitations of the prior arttechniques and equipment. Therefore, a primary object of the presentinvention is to provide new and improved techniques for effectively andreliably fulfilling the need still existent in the art and overcomingthe aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art techniques and equipmentcontemplated to be used for these purposes.

Another and more specific object of the present invention relates to anovel method of cleaning, especially removing undesired solid particlesfrom a wettreated textile web which is continuously guided over rollers,especially a printed web, by means of which the previously explaineddrawbacks can be prevented and wherein it is possible to achieve in amost simple manner a really thorough cleaning action.

Still a further significant object of the present invention relates to anew and improved method of cleaning, especially removing undesired solidparticles or materials from a wet-treated textile web in a mostefficient and reliable manner and which method is relatively simple andeconomical to perform.

Now, in order to implement the above method aspects of this inventionthe method contemplated by this development resides in the features ofguiding the web throughout its entire width at short intervals, atlocations at which the opposite side thereof travels over a support,past individual brushes, and directly thereafter flushing the textileweb.

This technique is able to master the problems which especially ariseduring cleaning of printed fabrics. Since the textile web, after eachbrushing operation and prior to the next brushing operation, is againguided through the bath the particles released by the brushing operationare flushed away and cannot be pressed into the fabric by the nextsuccessive brushing operation. Soiling of the fabric shade and fixationof the dye or color is prevented if, as here contemplated, the goods areimmediately again immersed in the washing bath following the mechanicaltreatment.

A faultless effect is achieved owing to the repeated brushing-washingprocess as contemplated by this development, notwithstanding theprotective treatment by virtue of the relatively limited effective timefor each brush.

As already explained heretofore a further aspect of this inventionrelates to a novel apparatus for carrying out the inventive method. Theinventive apparatus embodies a treatment section or housing containingrollers over which the textile web is guided. These rollers comprise aseries of adjacently arranged upper rollers and a series of adjacentlyarranged lower rollers disposed in the treatment section which is filledwith or contains the bath. The textile web is alternately guided aboutan upper roller and a lower roller as it moves through the treatmentsection. Individual brushes are arranged at least above the upperrollers, the bristles of which, in relation to an upper roller forming asupport, extends over the entire width of the web guided past such brushand acts upon such web.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will be better understoodand objects other than those set forth above, will become apparent whenconsideration is given to the following detailed description thereof.Such description makes reference to the annexed drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates in sectional view a preferredconstruction of inventive apparatus for carrying out the inventivemethod;

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the apparatus depicted in FIG.1, taken substantially along the line IIII thereof; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a de tail of theequipment depicted in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now moreparticularly to the drawing, it will be recognized that a wet-treatedtextile web B which is to be cleaned, especially freed from undesirablesolid particles, is continuously guided from the preceding treatmentstage in the direction of the arrow A through an appropriate squeezingmechanism 1 and over a suitable tension regulator 2 into the treatmentsection or housing portion 3. This treatment section or housing portion3 contains a series of adjaeently arranged lower or bottom rollers 4 anda series of likewise adjacently arranged upper or top rollers 5. Asillustrated, the textile web B is guided along a desired path of travelthrough the treatment section 3 alternately about a lower roller 4 andan upper roller 5, tinally leaves this treatment section 3 via adeflecting roller 6 and through the agency of a further squeezingmechanism 7 which continues to deliver the textile web B.

The treatment section 3 contains a soluble treatment liquid, such as awashingor treatment-bath. At the upper edge of the treatment section 3there is provided a support 8 for a cover member generally indicated byreference character 9. At the side walls of the cover member 9 there arearranged small cylinder units 10 which are braced upon supports 11 ofthe treatment section 3 and by means of which the spacing of the covermember 9 from the treatment section 3 can be varied in the verticaldirection. In this way it is possible to adjust the spacing of brushes[2, to be considered shortly, arranged as a brush unit at the covermember 9, from the textile web B.

Now at the cover member 9 there are rotatably arranged a number ofindividual brush rollers 12, four being shown provided for theillustrated embodiment, these brush rollers being arranged in such amanner that two respective top or upper rollers 5 have associatedtherewith one such brush roller 12, as such can be best seen from theillustrations of FIGS. 1 and 3. The brush rollers 12 may be conjointlydriven by means of a controllable drive motor 14 arranged at the covermember 9. Furthermore, any suitable adjustment means, as schematicallyindicated by reference charae ter 20, may he provided so as toindividually positionally adjust the brush rollers 12 relative to thetextile web B.

Spray tubes or spray nozzles 15 are arranged between the brush rollers12, by means of which a liquid jet or stream can be directed towards thecontact line be tween the associated brush rollers 12 and upper rollers5.

Cleaning, especially removal of undesired solid particles from thewet-treated continuously guided textile web B by means of theillustrated apparatus is carried out in the following manner: For thepurpose of drawing-in the web B over the rollers 5 and 4, the covermember 9 is raised. After the web B has been drawn-in, the cover member9 is again mounted, whereby in this position the bristles 12a of thebrush rollers 12 always act at the locations of the textile web B atwhich the web bears at its opposite face or side upon one of thesupporting rollers 5. The installation can now be placed into operation,whereby, for the purpose of transporting the textile web in the usualmanner, the upper rollers 5 and/or the bottom rollers 4 can be driventhrough the agency of a non-illustrated slip coupling from one of thesqueeze rollers of the squeeze mechanisms. Depending upon the desiredeffect the brush rollers l2 are placed into rotation by the drive motor14 either with the textile web B leading or lagging.

Now during the subsequent operation of the equipment, as should bereadily apparent, the textile web B will be successively guided past thebrush rollers 12 and thus each time brushed over its entire width.Directly thereafter and before the next following brushing operationcomes into play the textile web B is again imrnersed into the treatmentbath, so that the particles which were freed or released by the priorbrushing operation can be floated or flushed away.

At the effective region of the brushes the textile web B is alwayssupported at the opposite face or side thereof. This results in theadvantage that the brushing effect can be carried out independent of thefact whether the textile web is transported with a greater or lessertension, no creases or folds can appear and also the web cannot beshifted away.

Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 2, if the bristles 12a of the brushrollers 12 are additionally arranged in such a manner that the brushwinding 17, in other words the arrangement of the wound bristles 12a onthe brush rollers 12, extends in a screw-like of helicalshapedconfiguration from the center of the associated brush roller to bothsides towards the ends of such roller, then by means of suchconstruction of brush, during the brushing operation, there can besimultaneously produced a spreading or widening effect upon the textileweb which markedly can counteract any tendency of folds or creasesforming at such web.

With the arrangement illustrated in the drawings, the textile web B isalways guided twice past the same roller brush 12.

Instead of using the illustrated rotating roller brushes 12 it would bealso possible to employ stationary brushes. In both instances there isadvantageously insured that the brushes, cannot only be adjusted as aunit together with the cover member 9 with regard to the textile web Bbut rather also that each brush can be adjusted or displaced within theunit or assembly and, as indicated by the mechanism 20 of FIG. 2, alsocan be exchanged, so that any possibly arising brush wear can becompensated or individual brushes within the assembly can be replacedfor brushes having softer or harder bristles.

As should be readily apparent the illustrated embodiment of treatmentapparatus provides a large number of variation possibilities. Thus, forinstance, the textile web B can be also brushed at one or a number oflocations where it is immersed in the liquid bath, in that for instancethe housing portion or section 3 can be filled with liquid to a locationabove the height of the contact points between the brushes and the web.With equal facility the textile web could be, however, brushed in thefree or surrounding atmosphere or if suitable measures were undertakento hermetically seal the housing section 3, then the web could bebrushed in any desired gaseous medium atmosphere.

If the housing section 3 is filled with liquid to a level beneath thebrush rollers 12, then the textile web, following each brushingoperation, is drawn through the liquid bath, so that any dry rubbing ofthe web by the brushes 12 is counteracted, The same purpose can also beachieved by a directed fluid stream or jet provided by the spray tubesor nozzles 15 (FIG. 2) impinging upon the brushing zone and by means ofwhich there can be simultaneously attained an intensification of thecleaning action.

Due to the additional arrangement of brushes at the region of the lowerrollers 4, as schematically illustrated by reference character 30 inFIG. 1 to denote one such lower arranged bristle brush, and by fillingthe housing section 3 with liquid up to a level beneath the brushrollers 12, it is possible to alternately brush the textile web atlocations both within and externally of the liquid bath.

It can be, however, also desirable to guide both surfaces of the textileweb B past at least one brush. This can be realized in a most simplemanner if the one or the other or a number of the rollers 4 and/or 5serving as the support means of the textile web are themselvesconstructed as brush rollers, as schematically illustrated by referencecharacter 40 and 5a for one of the respective lower and upper rollers 4and 5.

Instead of using the illustrated separate drive for the brush rollers 12by means of the drive motor 14, it would of course also be possible tocarry out driving of the brush rollers, either in a direction which isthe same as or opposite to the direction of transport or travel of thetextile web, by employing the drive means which serves to drive ortransport the web itself. Thus, for instance, any suitable schematicallyillustrated coupling 26 could serve to operably connect the brushes 12with a drive unit 25 for the web B.

It is of significance to still here further mention that a brush set orassembly as such has been formed by the cover member 9 with the brushrollers 12 and the drive mechanism 14 is accommodated as a movable unitto the usual dimensions of the treatment sections employed in thetextile industry and can be arranged as a mountable unit at each suchstandard section.

While there is shown and described present preferred embodiments of theinvention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is notlimited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied and practicedwithin the scope of the following claims. Accordingly,

What is claimed is:

l. A method for cleaning, especially the removal of undesired solidparticles, from a wet-treated textile web, especially printed textilewebs, continuously guided over rollers, comprising the steps of guidingthe textile web in a supported fashion along a predetermined path oftravel, then at short spaced locations along the path of travel of thetextile web guiding the textile web over its entire width pastindividual brushes at locations thereof at the face of the textile webopposite the supported locations, brushing the textile web as it movespast such individual brushes, to thus achieve by means of the individualbrushes a separate brushing effect at the respective locations of thetextile web contacted by said individual brushes, simultaneous with thebrushing operation subjecting the textile web to laterally appliedforces to spread the textile web across its width, and immediatelyfollowing the brushing operation flushing the textile web.

2. The method as defined in claim I, wherein the step of flushing thetextile web includes immersing the textile web into a treatment bath,and wherein the textile web is additionally brushed at least at onelocation in which such textile web is immersed in the liquid bath.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, including the step of guiding thetextile web past brush rollers moving in the same direction as thedirection of travel of the textile web.

4. The method as defined in claim ll, including the step of guiding thetextile web past brush rollers which are moving in a direction oppositeto the direction of movement of the textile web.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the widthwise spreading ofthe textile web is carried out from its central region towards thelengthwise edges of the textile web.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of flushing thetextile web includes immersing the textile web into a treatment bath,and wherein the textile web is additionally brushed at least at onelocation in which such textile web is immersed in the liquid bath. 3.The method as defined in claim 1, including the step of guiding thetextile web past brush rollers moving in the same direction as thedirection of travel of the textile web.
 4. The method as defined inclaim 1, including the step of guiding the textile web past brushrollers which are moving in a direction opposite to the direction ofmovement of the textile web.
 5. The method as defined in claim 1,wherein the widthwise spreading of the textile web is carried out fromits central region towards the lengthwise edges of the textile web.